14 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



were the wooden railings with which the beds were 

 divided, and can be seen in some of Holbein's 

 pictures, painted green and white. 



In the Tudor period Gardens acquired many 

 new features among them, " Mounts," "Arbours," 

 " Galleries " and " Knottes," often in geometrical 

 patterns. For instance, in the Garden belonging to 

 the Earl of Northumberland in 1512, it is stated 

 "his household consisted of 160 people," and he 

 had only one Gardener, who "hourely attended in 

 the Garden for the setting of erbis, and clipping 

 of knottes and sweeping said Garden clean." The 

 chief and most popular innovation at this time 

 was opus toparium (topiary work) and it soon be- 

 came general everywhere. Leland writes in his 

 " Itinerary " (in the beginning of the sixteenth 

 century) of the Gardens at Wresehill Castle, men- 

 tioning both topiary work and mounts. He says : 

 "The orchardes are exceeding faire. And in the 

 orchardes were mounts opere topiario writhen 

 about with degrees, like cokilshells to come to 

 the top without payne." Henry VIII.'s. reign 

 an interesting period from many points of view 

 is certainly very full of information for the 

 Garden lover, as during that time many celebrated 

 Gardens were created and mention was made of 

 them in the literature of the day. 



A book could be written upon the glories of the 

 Gardens at Hampton Court. Cavendish gives a 



